Sheet-conveying machine.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

T. G. DEXTER. SHEET CONVEYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.25, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

1 .i "messes rm: ugnms wznzns co vncw uma. WASHINGTON, o c.

PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

T. G. DEXTER.

. SHEET CONVEYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-26, 1902.

3 SHEETS-S11E13 N0 MODEL.

T 7 W" T T summon. n c.

PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

T. G. DEXTER. SHEET CONVEYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT-26, 1902.

NO MODEL.

1 0i I'M e we 0 N-van l'oz UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHEET-CONVEYING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 59,21 1, dated May3, 1904.

Application filed October 25, 1902. Serial No. 128,714. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TALBOT C. DEXTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pearl River, in the county of Rockland and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSheet-Oonveying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the sheet -feedingmechanism for conveying successive sheets of paper from an automaticpaper-feeding. machine to a printing-press, folding-machine,ruling-machine, or other machine designed to operate upon sheets ofpaper.

The object of my present invention is to produce a simple and effectivesheet-conveying mechanism which can readily be adjusted to suit thedifferent sizes of sheets which are to be fed to a printing-press orother machine.

To this end my invention consists of a series of sheet-carrying belts ortapes arranged to convey sheets from an automatic feedingmachine to thegage end of the feed-board of the printing press or other machine andmeans adjustable toward andaway from the gages for raising or deflectingupwardly the successive sheets on the tapes to cause them to overlap asthey approach theregisteringgages.

The sheet deflecting or raising means for overlapping the sheets may bevariously constructed. I may employ pneumatic devices arranged beneaththe carrying portion of the tapes with controlling devices forintermittently blowing air under the traveling sheets, or I may employsheet deflecting fingers which raise the sheets from the carryingtapesand support the leading edge of the sheets sufiicientl y as they aremoving forward to cause the leading edge of one sheet to overlap therear edge of the preceding sheet, or I may employ a combination of thesheet-deflecting devices with pneumatic devices for accomplishing thedesired result. The pneumatic devices are also important in aifording afilm of air between the overlapping portions of the sheets to facilitatethe withdrawal of each sheet after it has been registered.

The sheet deflecting or raising devices are adjustable in the plane offeed toward and away from the registering-gages of the machine to whichthe sheets are to be fed. This is for the purpose of adapting themachine to feed different sizes of sheets.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will firstdescribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings andafterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of my improvedsheet feeding or conveying mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevationof a slight modification of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view ofthe mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 1,showing a further modification of my invention. Fig. 5 is a detail planview of the pneumatic sheet-elevating device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 isa detail side elevation of another modification, embracing thesheetdeflecting fingers and air-blast devices. Fig. 7 is a detail sideelevation of a further modification.

1 represents the impression-cylinder, 2 the front gage, 3 an underguide, and 4 the feedboard, of a printing-press.

5 represents part of the frame of an automatic paper-feeding machine.

6 is the feeding-machine tape-roller driven by a part of thefeeding-machine in a manner well understood.

10 represents the side bars of the frame, which supports thesheet-conveying mechanism which carries the successive sheets from thefeeding-machine to the printing-press or other machine. These bars 10are pivotally mounted upon the feeding-machine frame at 11 and carryupon their forward ends the side brackets 12, upon which are mounted theside registering mechanism (not shown) and the press-controllingdevices, which are partly indicated butnot described in detail, sincethey do not form any part of my present invention. These side brackets12 rest upon the feed-board I and also carry the metal plates or bars14, which form an incline leading from the delivery-tapes to the gageend of the feed-board.

15 indicates the delivery-tape roller suitably journaled in the sidebrackets 12, referred to.

18 indicates the parallel series of sheetcarrying tapes, which aresupported upon the tape-rollers 6 and 15 and driven by the roller 6.These tapes 18 are supported with their upper carrying portion in agradual incline from the delivery mechanism of the automaticfeeding-machine to the gage end of the feed-board of the printing-pressor other machine to which the sheets are to be fed.

20 is one of a pair of brackets or carriages which are mounted to slideupon the side bars 10 of the conyeyer-frame. These brackets or carriages20 are secured in the desired adjusted position upon the bars 10 bymeans of set-screws 21. r

30 indicates a series of sheet deflecting plates or fingers which aremounted at their rear ends upon a shaft or bar 31, which is supported inthe rearwardly-projecting arms 32 of the brackets or carriages 20. Theseplates or fingers 30 extend from their supporting-bar 31, which islocated beneath the carrying portion of the tapes 18 on an upwardincline toward the delivery end of the tapes.

Supported between the individual tapes at their delivery ends are theadjustable and extensible frictional plates or bars for regulating thepropelling force of the tapes upon the sheets. These frictional platesor bars are constructed and arranged as set forth in my applicationfiled of even date herewith, Serial No. 128,711. Each friction plateorbar consists of two telescoping plate-sections, the sections of whichare connected, respectively, to the rods and 66, mounted betweenbrackets 12 and brackets 20, respectively. By adjusting the brackets orcarriages 20 the plates or bars 60 will be extended or shortened, as thecase may be, in the manner explained in my above-named application.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 2 the sheet-deflecting fingers3O carry in their upper ends the freely-journaled antifrictionrollers30, which are for the purpose of lessening the friction ofthesheets-passing over the deflecting-fingers 30.

In Figs. 1 and 5 I have shown another modification of my invention inwhich the airblast box or chamber extends transversely of the machinebeneath the upper carrying portion of the tapes 18 and is supported atits ends upon the adjustable brackets or carriages 20, which are mountedupon the supportingbars 10. This air-blast box 70 is formed in its upperface with a series of minute air-holes 71, and the air-box is connectedthrough a pipe 7 2 with an air-blast pipe '73, controlled by a cock orvalve 74, connected through arms and link 76 with a cam-operated lever77. The lever 77 carries in its lower end a pin 78,

which is adapted to be inserted in one of-the series of perforations76*, formed in the rear end of the rod 76, for the purpose of adjustingthe operation of the valve 7 1. The lever 77 is journaled to thefeeding-machine frame at 79 and carries in its upper end anantifriction-roller 80, which operates in peripheral engagement with therotary cam 81, mounted on one of the shafts of the feeding-machine, asindicated at 82. A spring 83 connects lever 7'7 with the feeding-machineframe for holding it in operative relation to the cam 81.

The air-blast pipe 73 is suitably connected with any suitableblower-such, for instance, as the blower which is commonly used on thefeeding-machine for assisting in the separation of the sheets from thepile.

Since the upward blasts of air from the airbox 70 might have a tendencyto elevate the passing sheets too much, I propose to provide an upper.series of endless belts or tapes 85, carried upon the taperollers 86 and87, journaled, respectively, in the feedingmachine frame and thebrackets 12. These tapes are driven from the tape-roller 6, and theirlower effective portions extend parallel with the upper carryingportions of the tapes 18.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a further modification in which the brackets orcarriages 20 support a series of hollow sheet-deflecting fingers 90,supported from a transverse pipe 91, which communicates through pipe 92with the blower-pipe 93. A valve 94, designed to be operated in the samemanner as i just explained in connection with Figs. 4 and 5, is alsoprovided to regulate the blasts of air through the fingers 90. Thesefingers 90 are inclined from their supporting-pipe 91 upwardly andrearwardly across the path of the sheet-carrying tapes 18 similar to thesheet-deflecting fingers illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. For confining thesheets against too great a lift from the carriage-tapes I provide aseries of parallel bars 95, arranged above the carrying portion of thetapes 18. v

The form of device shown in Fig. 7 is the same as just described withreference to Fig. 6, excepting that the hollow sheet-deflectingblast-fingers 90 are provided in their ends with freely-journaledantifriction-rollers 96 to reduce the friction of the sheets in passingover the fingers.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it will be observed that as eachsheet moves toward the gages its leading edge will be deflected abovethe rear edge of the sheet which is be ing registered to cause saidleading edge to overlap the sheet which is being registered. Inaccomplishing this result it will of course be understood that thecarriages 20, supporting the sheet-deflecting fingers 30, must be adjusted upon the supporting-bars 10 to allow sufficient space between thegages and the carriages 20, so as to insure the rear edge of the sheetwhich is being registered resting a little beyond the carriages.

1n the form of the mechanism shown in Figs. L and 5 the controllingmechanism of the air-blast is so timed that the blast will opcrateintermittently just as the leading edge of each sheet is passing overthe air-box 70. By this means the leading edge of each sheet is raisedand supported sufficiently to insure its passing over the rear edge ofthe sheet which has preceded it.

In the forms shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the operation is practically thesame as in the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, excepting that theair-blasts are also provided for assisting in the overlapping of thesheets.

In the forms of the mechanism in which airblasts are employed it will beobserved that films of air will be injected between the overlappingportions of the sheet. This is important, since it facilitates thewithdrawal of the sheets from registered position without interferingwith the overlapping sheets.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, andsuitable registeringgages, with means for deflecting or raising sheetsfrom the tapes, adapted tothereby overlap the successive sheets, andmeans for adjusting said sheet-deflecting means parallel with the planeof feed toward and away from the registeririg-gages, substantially asset forth.

2. In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, andsheet-registering gages, with sheet-deflecting plates or fingerssupported in the path of the sheets and adapted to raise or deflectupwardly the sheets carried by the tapes and thereby overlapthesuccessive sheets, and means for adjusting said sheetdeflecting platesor fingers toward and away from the registering-gages, substantially asset forth.

3. In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, andsheet-registering gages, with inclined sheet-deflecting plates orfingers arranged between the receiving and delivery ends of said tapesto intersect the path of the carrying portion of the tapes and defleetsheets from the tapes, and frictional plates or bars arranged to leadsheets from said sheetdeflecting lingers to the delivery portion of saidtapes, substantially as set forth.

4. In a sheet-conveyer. the combination oi a supportirig-frame, thetape-rollers, sheetcarrying tapes mounted upon said tapc-rollers, anadjustable carriage mounted upon said frame between the tape-rollers, aseries of sheet-deflecting fingers supported upon said carriage beneaththe carrying portion of said. tapes and inclined upwardly to intersectthe path of the sheets and thereby overlap the suc cessive sheets uponthe carrying portion of the tapes adjacent to the delivery end, andregistering-gages, substantially as set forth.

5. In a sheet-eonveyer, the combination of a suitable supporting-frame,the tape-rollers journaled in said frame, the sheet-carrying tapesmounted upon said tape-rollers, an adjustable carriage mounted upon saidframe between the tape-rollers, a transverscly-arranged series ofsheet-deflecting plates or fingers supported upon said carriage beneaththe carrying portion of said tapes, and inclined upwardly to intersectthe path of the sheets upon said tapes, extensible friction plates orbars connected with said carriage and with a stationary part of thesupporting-frame, said frictional bars being arranged to intersect thepath of the delivery portion of said tapes for returning sheets from thesheet-deflecting iingers to the tapes, and sheet-registering gages,substantially as set forth.

6. In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, withair-blast devices supported adjacent to the carrying portion of saidtapes, and adapted to raise the leading edge of the successive sheetsfrom the tapes to thereby overlap the successive sheets upon theconveyor, and means supported above the eonveyer for confining theupward movements of the sheets under the action of the air-blastdevices, substantially as set forth.

7. In a sheet-conveyor, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, withair-blast devices supported adjacent to the carrying portion of saidtapes and adapted to raise the leading edge of the successive sheetsfrom the tapes and thereby overlap the successive sheets upon theconveyer, and a series of sheet-confining surfaces arranged above andparallel with the carrying portion of said tapes for limiting the upwardmovement of the sheets under the action of the air-blast devices,substantially as set forth.

8. In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, withair-blast devices supported adjaeent to the carrying portion of saidtapes and adapted to raise the leading edge of the successive sheetsfrom the tapes to thereby overlap the successive sheets upon theconveyer, and a series of traveling sheet-confining tapes supportedabove and parallel with the carrying portion of the conveyor-tapes forlimiting the upward movement of the sheets under the action of theair-blast devices, the lower or sheet-confining portion of said sheet- &

confining tapes traveling in the same direction as the carrying portionof said conveyer-tapcs, substantially as set forth.

9. In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, with aseries of hollow sheet-deflecting fingers supported adjacent, to thecarrying portion of said tapes in position to intersect the path of thesheets so as to raise or deflect the successive sheets from the conveyertapes, and means for blowing air through said hollow deflecting-fingersfor sup porting the raised edge of the sheets to cause the sheets to beoverlapped upon the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

1 In a sheet-conveyer, the combination of sheet-carrying tapes, withpneumatic means supported ad acent to the carrying portion of said tapesand adapted to raise the leading itnesses:

J. GREEN, v WM. E. KNIGHT.

